


That One Time...in San Diego

by caisha



Series: Well If It's You Asking (Olicity Drabbles) [4]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), olicity - Fandom
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, F/M, Humor, One Shot, SDCC, olicity - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-02
Updated: 2015-03-02
Packaged: 2018-03-15 23:37:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3466262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caisha/pseuds/caisha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oliver Queen is a seasoned actor on a famous TV show, forced to do round after round of interviews and panels at the SDCC. Felicity Smoak is in charge of network security at the convention. </p><p>Neither of them were watching where they were going.</p>
            </blockquote>





	That One Time...in San Diego

**Author's Note:**

  * For [karenbcrazy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/karenbcrazy/gifts).



**That One Time**

"Mr. Queen, can you tell us about how your relationship with the cast has changed in the past few months?" The reporter asked during an on-the-go interview. Bright lights were hitting his face, obscuring his vision and all he could hear was the thrum of the crowd as they talked amongst each other while they walked from room to room.

It was an impertinent question, one he certainly would've vetoed if this had been a formal interview; however formal was a very different word when you appeared at the Comic Convention in San Diego. He couldn't remember a year where he loathed it more than he did right then, trying to focus on the reporter's face and failing because of the bright light from her camera man.

Aware he had already taken too long to answer the question, he shook his head and plastered a tight smile on his face, "The cast and crew are a family - we work together with off schedules and at random times; families disagree sometimes, but they're still a family. We're still as strong as ever."

The reporter opened her mouth to follow up, but Oliver shot a look at his bodyguard and stand-in personal assistant John Diggle who immediately stepped in to excuse him from the interview. She pouted slightly, but Oliver walked away - she would just be one of a hundred interviews he would do this weekend and if he was going to survive without another incident he would have to pace himself.

"You're going to have to remember how to do an interview, Oliver," Diggle spoke from behind him.

Oliver just sighed and rubbed his face, "I know, Dig, but it's just hard to get in the right mindset again."

Diggle nodded and went to prep the next reporter; Oliver had been at this for a little under an hour and he was already frustrated by the entire ordeal. Looking around, he saw the hallway that was sectioned off for VIPs and took off for it without thinking. Diggle would be pissed, but it had been awhile since they had played hide and seek; though he could've picked a better time admittedly.

He slipped behind the curtain quickly and looked behind him to check if he was being followed when he felt his chest connect with what felt like a body, confirmed when he heard "oomph" from the side of him.

He grabbed the person's shoulders, instinctively steadying them, and turned around to come face to face with a woman with a sharp ponytail and purple lipstick.

"Ohhhh frack. You're Oliver Queen."

* * *

"Felicity, we need you down on the floor in booth 371," the voice filtered through her earpiece and she slid from her high backed office chair above the convention room floor. Most of the time she worked these events exclusively from above, but every so often someone would have a network emergency and she would be called down to fix what her staff couldn't.

She didn't mind at all though, she chose all these jobs herself and they made for a nice break from the travelling lifestyle of her other gigs. Plus, there were always such a variety of computers that people would bring to comic cons - once she saw a tablet that had been rooted to have Linux instead of the default Android and she got a little excited, babbling the owners' ear off. It was such a simple thing, but so unusual to see that it was impossible not to say anything to the man.

"I'll be down shortly; it's not on fire or anything right? Because that would suck and I would probably walk faster…" Felicity heard awkward silence on the other end and chided herself on letting her babbling worst case scenario get away from her again.

"No, just come when you can," was the nervous reply from one of her staff - she couldn't tell who.

She descended down the stairs which were clearly meant for the soft clack of heels, but instead met the sensible footwear of her Mary Jane flats. Felicity loved her heels, but after the first year where the day after was spent in a long and painful pedicure she relented and has since worn flats at events like this. She loved her feet more at that moment.

The view to the convention center was blocked by the cloth curtains on metal poles, but she was able to bypass a lot of the crowds by walking down the VIP row. She brought her tablet in front of her as she started walking, pulling up a map of the convention area to find booth 371. Felicity was staring at it when she was knocked into on the side and nearly tipped over, but was saved by strong hands that grabbed her shoulders.

Felicity was opening her mouth to see what was going on when the man turned to face her full on and she dropped the tablet she had been holding.

"Ohhh frack. You're Oliver Queen." Oliver Queen, as in the star of her favorite series since forever - Oliver Queen whom she had hoped to meet one day in a fantasy of Disney proportions - her face fell as she remembered the more recent stuff - Oliver Queen, as in the divorced, bitter, and angry man who had instigated a brawl just outside this morning. Felicity sighed; never meet your idols, right?

He just tilted his head, staring at her with cold eyes that made her shiver.

"I apologize; I wasn't watching where I was going. In a bit of a hurry," Oliver spoke with a straight face that was locked on hers, making Felicity terribly nervous.

"It happens; I mean at least we're not on the convention floor right? Pushing and shoving and probably gaggling fans who adore you - because who wouldn't adore you? Look at you, you're gorg-" Oliver felt a smile overcome his will to glare and he let out a rare - these days - grin at the blonde, who immediately stopped talking, her mouth falling open.

"Hey, you wouldn't happen to know a secret way out of here do you? I'm kind of dodging some people," he just winked at her and Felicity blinked before shaking her head clear.

"Yeah! Of course, let me uh," she bent down to pick up her tablet and pulled up the map she had been looking at previously. "I'll find you an exit route, give me a few seconds."

Oliver watched her, the grin gone from his face, but the memory of it remained; he watched her ponytail bob a little as she tapped the device in her hands. He had momentarily forgotten about dodging Diggle and the fiasco this event was turning out to be, thanks to her.

"Thank goodness for small miracles," he mumbled under his breath.

"Got one!" Felicity raised her fist in the air, making Oliver duck away so he wouldn't get smacked. "Just follow me, then, Mr. Queen."

He locked into her pace as she took off, and ducked to her ear, "Oliver's fine, you can just call me Oliver."

"Oh I know you're fine," she whispered back hoping he didn't hear. He had, of course, even in a noisy arena such as this one - he was tuned to her voice like a heat seeking missile, except this missile made him smile rather than dead.

They had only walked a short distance when she stopped them and turned towards him with a determined look, "Okay. We'll have to go through some of the crowds, sorry about that."

"I'd rather not, can't we just go around?"

"Nope," she says, popping the p and stares at him before snapping her fingers and begins to slip out of her jacket.

Oliver watches with one arched eyebrow in question and she notices, going bright red. "Sorry, it's for you - the jacket, I mean. Not me. I'm not for you."

The grin escaped again as he took her official staff jacket from her, "I guess I'm lucky these things are huge and one size fits all, huh?"

"Yeah…you probably have muscles I've never even heard of," Felicity responded without thinking and shook her head. She pulled her Gunnars off and slipped them on his face, "There you go. Disguise complete!"

"What are these things?" Oliver was looking around with squinty eyes through the yellow tinted glasses she had just put on him.

"Gunnars. They help with eye strain since I'm in front of computers all day."

"Are they supposed to be…blurry?" He squinted at her and blinked rapidly as her mouth opened.

"No, they're um, prescription so they might be blurry with far away things, sorry."

Oliver shook his head in disbelief, "Jesus - it's the blind leading the blind now, then?"

Blurry though it was, he didn't miss the flush of red that hit her face again as she turned around, walking towards the public area of the convention. Oliver stepped towards her and intertwined his arm with hers and as she looked at him questioningly he spoke, "Sorry, I just assume we might lose each other if neither of us can see far ahead. Wouldn't want that."

His voice melted over her and she almost panicked when she remembered that it was Oliver Queen who had his arm intertwined with hers as if it was the most casual thing in the world. She shook her head and pulled them in the direction of the alleyway exit - if someone opens it it's supposed to trigger an alarm, but she had disabled that zone so he could slip out with no one the wiser.

They definitely got a couple of funny looks, but for the most part no one was expecting a celebrity to walk by in yellow glasses and a staff jacket while being tugged along by a blonde in a ponytail. She opened the exit door for him and he slipped out, while she stood in between the doorframe and the door itself, so she wouldn't be locked out. He looked up at her as he handed her the jacket and glasses back, smiling as she slipped them on.

"I hope it's a good thing that you can see again," he said.

Felicity grinned, "Oh I'd say it's definitely on the good spectrum. So if you don't mind me asking before you run off, where's your bodyguard or assistant or whatever? I'm assuming you have one."

Nodding, "I dodged my bodyguard in favor of this little escapade. It's a game we play - he'll probably be mad I managed to win in this area."

"That sounds…dangerous," Felicity scrunched up her nose and forehead in confusion, but he just shrugged.

"Not much reason to be afraid anymore - that's only for people with something to lose."

There was a silence after that, as he realized he had said too much, and Felicity just stared at him, watching him with a more calculated interested.

Oliver stepped down the last few stairs as he faced her, making her incredibly nervous that he would tumble backwards.

"So thank you, for helping me out today."

She smiled and he let out a short breath, "You're most welcome, Mr. Queen. I aim to please."

He nodded and turned around; he had only taken a few steps when he ran back and caught her before she closed the door, "Hey! I didn't catch your name earlier."

"Felicity. Felicity Smoak." She tilted her head as he smiled, and then closed the door.

Oliver grinned and turned around, walking towards the end of the alley that hit the main street. A car pulled up with heavy tinting and a man got out and stared at him.

"Dammit, Dig!" Oliver sighed. He thought he had won this round.

* * *

"You can't dodge me like that during events," Diggle chided him as they were in the hotel room between interviews.

Oliver just sighed, knowing he was right, but he was trying to clear his mind and tune his friend out so he could have a peaceful hour or two before he had to face more idiotic reporters.

"This isn't about Helena, is it?"

Helena. The woman that ruined him and sent him into the spiral nose dive that he had been in for the past year. She always made a deliberate point to put him down in interviews, ever since their divorce - and Oliver couldn't go through any media event without hearing about it. All he had been trying to do for the past two years since their separation was make a clean cut, but that was next to impossible when they were as high profile as two actors could get - the popularity that had lasted through the standard flavor of the month for gossip sites and had extended to nearly seven years of their relationship - and fall out.

The silence stretched on as Oliver lost himself to his thoughts, knowing peace was a foolish request, but Diggle mercifully just flipped on the TV and didn't pester him for an answer.

Unfortunately, the first thing on the news was a shot of Oliver going after the reporter this morning; reporter was such a nice word for what that man was, and he deserved the shame he would get from the tabloid community even as Oliver got all the bad press for daring to lay a finger on any one of them.

The phrase,  _talk shit get hit,_ rolled into his mind and it made him chuckle, despite how asinine and immature it was.

Diggle just stared at him as he smiled to himself and he coughed, "What?"

"What has you smiling? You're lucky you weren't arrested."

He shakes his head, "It's not that - I was just laughing at something I had thought of earlier, and it's nothing."

Diggle uttered a noise of disbelief, but when back to finding something to watch. They normally didn't have time for TV usually, but Diggle could always find something interesting on - his super power.

An hour or so later they were walking into an elevator that would take them down to the convention area and Oliver turned to Diggle, "While I'm doing this next panel, can you look up a worker here - her name is Felicity Smoak. I need to send her some flowers or whatever, for helping me today."

Diggle raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Sure thing, boss." He left it at that, but Oliver cringed when he realized how unusual his request was - and that it would lead to more questions later.

* * *

Felicity ran behind the big stage, trying not to panic about the signal dampeners shorting out, "Just collect their phones, we'll figure it out. There's still half an hour." She spoke into her earpiece as she ran to the computer they had set up for her.

It was the big panel on Saturday and the conference had wanted to try something new - at her suggestion - which was currently in danger and had her adrenaline pumping. She pulled up the computer's lock screen and entered her credentials before she heard, "Felicity…Smoak?"

"Ohhh frack." She turned around and saw Oliver Queen staring at her with a questioning expression, "Not you again."

"I'm sorry, it's a bad time clearly, I'll come back later." He turned around to leave, but she spoke up.

"No! It's okay, but I hope you don't mind - there's a bit of an emergency and I have to fix it. You're welcome to watch, if you're even remotely interested in complex security protocols and future tech that disables and powers down cellphones, which you probably aren't because no one I know-"

"Like in Batman?" Oliver walked up to her and looked at the computer from behind her.

Felicity smiled, "Yes, like in Batman. Sorry, for the…babbling."

Oliver just smiled and went silent as she went through her program settings, her forehead scrunched up in thought. He watched her for ten minutes, ignoring the buzzing in his phone that was most likely his press agent freaking out that he wasn't in line for the stage panel yet.

"Yes! Oh thank god," Felicity again pushed her fist in the air, but Oliver didn't have to duck away this time.

"Successful then?"

"Yep, this will be a great experiment." Felicity locked the computer and turned around, gasping an 'oh!' as she realized how close he was, his eyes locked on her face. Instead of making her uncomfortable, it made her feel…warm.

"You'll have to tell me about it sometime then," Oliver spoke softly, completely enamored by this woman.

Felicity rolled her eyes, "Oh yeah, because running into Oliver Queen just happens all the time to girls like me."

Oliver tilted his head, "When do you get off work tonight?"

She scoffed, "Tonight? Try 3am."

"Can I come keep you company? I'll bring dinner and snacks."

His smile was rendering her speechless and sounds came out, but they were noticeably incoherent. She finally spoke, although stiltedly, "Uh, yeah. Yes. Of course - I'm usually upstairs in the office above here, monitoring things."

Oliver pulled away, releasing her from his spell, "I'll have Diggle get the information and I'll see you tonight."

Felicity just nodded as he turned around as they announced his name for the panel and cheers echoed through the hall and her body. She shivered, not knowing why.

* * *

Oliver had two plastic bags filled with food and he took a deep breath before knocking on the door; he had it on good authority that it was Felicity Smoak's office, but the nervousness was so prevalent and unusual that the logic didn't seem to work on him. John had said it was typical first date jitters, but Oliver couldn't remember a time when he had been nervous about taking a girl on a date.

The door pulled open and a frazzled looking Felicity stared at him in shock, "Wow. You actually came."

"I did, and not a moment too soon." He smiled, dazzling her, and held up the bags, "I brought food - Chinese and burgers, wasn't sure which you would prefer - if not both." He winked as he walked by, ignoring her mouth that was open in shock.

"It's one in the morning, shouldn't you be sleeping?"

Oliver just shrugged, "You said you worked late, and I said I would keep you company - I keep my promises."

Felicity smiled and took the plastic container from him and bit into the burger with great relief, "Oh my god. So good, where did you find this?"

"Diggle, my bodyguard you spoke to, found it - we'll have to ask him later. You aren't local?"

She shook her head and swallowed before she spoke, "No, I do freelance computer security so I travel a lot- but I always try to work the SDCC because I'm a nerd."

Oliver smiled at her, at the cute way she just stated that - like it wasn't  _meant_  to be cute, just a fact. She completely disarmed him.

"What does that mean, freelance computer security?"

"Oh," she ducked her head down and wiped her mouth, "It's basically, uh, hacking that a company hires you to do - testing their security protocols and what not."

Opening up a box of chow mein, Oliver waved his chop sticks at her, "Continue, because I have no idea what that means either."

Felicity laughed lightly at his honesty, making Oliver smile back at her as he ate. "Well, it's usually banks and financial firms, but all companies have security protocols and stuff for their networks - to protect their information from hackers like me, or even corporate espionage. They pay me to come in for a week or two and analyze their system's weaknesses and work with their tech teams to build a plan to increase security."

"I can't imagine that always sits well with the people who work there."

"Not at all, sometimes it's pretty combative even - doesn't do well for my cheery disposition."

Oliver set down the box and looked at her, "I doubt anything could dampen that, Felicity."

The way he said her name made her smile and she ran her fingers along the floor where they sat; as she watched her fingers trace designs Oliver was watching her.

"You knew who I was, when I ran into you."

Felicity looked up, surprised, "Of course I did. I love your show."

He shifted, slightly uncomfortable with the admiration, "So that means you know…."

"About your ex-wife and the fall out, yes."

She was being surprisingly blunt and straight forward, which Oliver found so refreshing - especially in these past few years, outside of John of course. He scratched the back of his neck, unsure where to take that knowledge.

"Why did you come here, Mr. Queen?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.

He just shrugged, "You caught my interest and it's been a rough few days. You've been the only sunlight I've experienced in so long, I thought it was kismet when I saw you at my panel."

Felicity tucked her hair behind her ear, "Both times you saw me were unusual - I'm not usually down on the floor, I work from up here most of the weekend."

He gestured towards her animatedly, "You see! Kismet."

Smiling, she gathered up her trash and stood up, walking to throw it away. Oliver took it as his cue to leave, that he had stepped over her boundary line, and stood up.

"Well, I think I'll go now. I'm sorry to have disturbed your work, Ms. Smoak."

Felicity whirled around and frowned, "What? You don't have to go."

He waved her off, "No, it's okay - I get it. I'm severely damaged, I have a temper, who knows what kind of stories are floating around about me and -"

She stood up on her toes and pressed her lips against his, silencing him effectively; after a moment of shock, just as she was about to pull away in horror, his arms wrapped around her body and bent down to deepen the kiss.

Felicity had surprised herself with the kiss, but as she opened her mouth to his her brain was silenced of all commentary. Her hands went into his hair and Oliver pushed her to the desk, pulling her up to sit on it as they continued their slow pace.

His hands moved to cradle her face, holding it in place as he nipped at her lips to catch their breath.

"Oliver," her voice was raspy and soft from shock and lust, "Are you okay?" She stared at him, catching his eyes.

His fingers ran down her face and collarbone, all the way down to her hips, his eyes following them as he tried to put words to what he was feeling.

After a minute of quiet contemplation - neither of them moving towards or away from each other, Felicity content to wait for him to process his answer, and Oliver desperate to find one - Oliver finally spoke.

"When is your next job?"

Surprised, she answered without thinking, "I'm due in Seattle in three weeks."

Oliver broke into a huge smile that blinded her, "You should come with me back to Vancouver, you can come with me to the set until you have to go, and we can go see the city and eat sushi and-"

Felicity kissed him again, but this time it was short and hard.

"Is that a yes?"

Smiling, she wrapped her arms around his neck, "Well it's definitely the craziest thing I've ever heard, but I feel like my life needs a little crazy right now."

"So….?"

Exasperated, she smacked him in his - hard - stomach, "Yes, you big dummy. When do we leave?"

"Well I leave tomorrow evening, but I'll postpone for you - I don't know when this all ends for you." He waved around at the computers and servers.

She just giggled, "It ends when the convention ends basically, I'm not in charge of the setup or dismantling, I'm just here to be the brains not the brawn." Felicity waggled her eyebrows at him, making him laugh.

"Well brains you certainly are, but I bet you're stronger than you think."

Rolling her eyes, she lay down on the desk and looked at him, "I think you're stronger. Care to prove it?"

* * *

_One year later…_

"Ms. Smoak! Ms. Smoak! How does it feel to be Oliver Queen's savior?" A reporter called out as they got out of their car in San Diego.

Oliver tucked her tight beside him as he always did whenever they were beside each other, but especially in front of large crowds. Felicity had a bright smile on her face as she answered, "I'd say we saved each other, actually."

She felt him squeeze her waist in support and he ducked down to kiss her neck, "I love you." He whispered to her as they stood for pictures.

Felicity felt a flush go through her, glad that the flashes would wash it out, but she looked up at his usually stoic face, so used to hiding emotion from the world, and saw a tight smile and knew it was only for her. She bounced up and kissed his cheek, but Oliver had other ideas and caught her mouth with his, a move that they were quite practiced at, but one that always got better.

She grinned against his lips and they kept walking towards the entrance, "Well we certainly gave them a show."

"Again. We always give them a show," they were America's new favorite couple - the press were enamored with Felicity Smoak, who saved Oliver Queen, but she always denied it - when it's right, a couple will be each other's strength, and that's what they were. Oliver found his sunlight, and she found her star in the night.

Once they were inside the bubbling convention center, Diggle reminded him about his first interview in ten minutes. "I guess we're both off to work now, huh?"

Oliver kissed her on the nose, "Yep, see you in the usual spot, same time?"

"Absolutely," Felicity grinned, looking forward to their not-so-private anymore, clandestine meeting in her office later. But after all, they had to keep up with the tradition set exactly a year ago.

Of course, what she didn't know was that Diggle had been entrusted with a simple platinum band before they left for California, and hopefully tonight Felicity Smoak would say yes to putting up with him forever.

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: Dedicated to karenbcrazy because it's just been that kind of week and she needed some cuteness.
> 
> PS I have a severe dislike of my writing when I do one shots, so if you enjoyed it please let me know! Or if you have critiques...please. x.x Hope you liked it <3


End file.
